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2020 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator reportedly facing numerous QC issues

A lengthy report in the Detroit Free Press delves into a range of quality control issues confronting the 2020 Ford Explorer and its luxury platform sibling, the 2020 Lincoln Aviator. Freep says it's been following the issue for two months, tapping various unnamed sources for information on the automaker's unorthodox route to resolution. Seems the problem is Explorers and Aviators leaving the production line at the Chicago Assembly Plant with flaws in areas like the chassis, transmission and suspension, said vehicles trucked to Ford's Flat Rock Assembly Plant (FRAP) outside of Detroit for repair. The estimates range from 10,000 to 18,000 vehicles affected, numbers so high that Ford has sought help from Roush Engineering in nearby Allen Park, and brought workers and managers from other plants in the Midwest to FRAP to get vehicles repaired and shipped to dealers. Ford hasn't shared the nature of the problems with anyone outside the company, including dealers and customers. Freep's sources are said to include workers who have provided photos of certain vehicles and of tents used to house parts at the FRAP repair site. The Explorer chassis allegedly has an unidentified problem that engineers are using X-rays to diagnose, and the transmission is having problems sensing when it's in park or going into park. Both the Explorer and Aviator have come off the line with HVAC units that only blow hot air. And the Aviator's height-adjustable suspension enters failure mode for unknown reasons. These come on top of quotidian mishaps common to every new vehicle, but that are meant to be sorted in pre-production, like missing emblems and trim pieces. They also come on top of a recall in early August issued for the Explorer and Aviator concerning the instrument cluster and parking brake, and another at the end of August over rear seatbacks that could collapse in a crash. An automaker spokesperson told Freep, "Making updates to preproduction models based on all-new platforms as they roll off the assembly line – is standard industry practice." Except these aren't pre-production, these are early production vehicles that paying customers and dealers are waiting for, and some of the affected vehicles have been pulled off dealer lots. Dealers say they are fine waiting for the trucks to get sorted out, and they'd rather have Ford fix the problems before the SUVs go to customers.

Junkyard Gem: 2004 Lincoln Navigator Ultimate 4x4

Things in the American SUV world got a lot more interesting during the late 1990s, when Ford and GM realized that the best way to print bales of money did not involve bringing over their European-market sedans for sale here. Instead, they would take their big sport utility vehicles, pry off the badges of their proletariat-grade marques, and slather them in luxury materials and the latest gadgetry. Ford was first with the Ford Expedition-based Lincoln Navigator in the 1998 model year, with The General transforming the GMC Yukon Denali into the Cadillac Escalade a year later. Today's Junkyard Gem is an early second-generation Navigator, found in a Denver-area car graveyard. The second-generation Navigator was built for the 2003 through 2006 model years. It didn't look much different from its predecessor, but it (and its Expedition sibling) had a brand-new independent rear suspension that gave it a lower rear floor and a somewhat less truck-ish ride. This generation of Navigator was the first luxury SUV to offer powered retractable running boards. This truck, being a top-trim-level Ultimate, has them. With an MSRP of $56,140 (about $93,069 in 2023 dollars), the Navigator Ultimate 4x4 was the most expensive new production car or light truck offered by the Ford Motor company in the United States as a 2004 model. The introduction of the $149,995 Ford GT the following year stole that crown from the Navigator, of course. That's genuine walnut trim, not the phony wood that went into Malaise Era Lincolns. The dash layout was inspired by that of the 1961 Continental, according to Lincoln PR. Power came from a 5.4-liter DOHC V8 rated at 300 horsepower and 355 pound-feet. Curb weight approached three tons. This one looks to have been in good cosmetic condition when it got here. A quick VIN check shows that it was for sale at a Denver used-car joint a few months back, with just under 140,000 miles on the odometer and a price tag of $4,900 (which is about $3,104 in 2004 dollars, or a depreciation of nearly 95% in 19 years). Perhaps the engine or transmission failed soon after that, leading to this grim fate. That wood-and-leather steering wheel felt … just like a football? You could operate its power features in time to music, if you so chose. The 2004 Navigator was forced to share this commercial with the smaller Explorer-based Aviator.

Lincoln Continental prototype breaks down, requires a tow

Sometimes, cars break. Sometimes, said cars happen to be prototypes covered in camouflage. And sometimes, spy photographers are on hand to capture the sad sight. Such is the case here, as our trusty long-lenses have captured images of a stricken Lincoln Continental getting a tow back the shop. It's not clear what happened with the wounded Continental, but its unfortunate breakdown has given us a great look at the car's sprawling glass roof. Like the current MKZ, it looks like the Conti's panoramic roof can slide back, although we doubt it will cover up any element of the rear window, like its smaller sibling. And unlike our previous round of spy photos, this latest gallery gives us a look at a rather substantial set of integrated exhaust tips (i.e. fakes that have been fitted directly to the rear bumper cover). We can also spy a bit of the interior, although it's nowhere near as good as our last round of images. These shots do, however, show off a full roll cage and a fire extinguisher, but we wouldn't count on those being offered with the production model. Their presence here, though, leads us to believe that the car in question is probably some kind of vehicle dynamics tester. Look for a full introduction of the all-new Continental next month, when it debuts at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. Related Video: